| Akita 秋田 |
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| — Core city — | |||
| 秋田市 Akita City | |||
| Central Akita | |||
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| Location of Akita in Akita prefecture | |||
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Akita
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Akita prefecture | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Norihisa Satake | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 905.67 km2 (349.7 sq mi) | ||
| Population (October 1, 2011) | |||
| • Total | 323,310 | ||
| • Density | 357/km2 (924.6/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| - Tree | Japanese zelkova | ||
| - Flower | Satsuki azalea | ||
| Phone number | 018-863-2222 | ||
| Address | Akita-shi, Sanno 1 chome, 1-1 010-8560 |
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| Website | www.city.akita.akita.jp | ||
Akita (秋田市 Akita-shi) is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.
As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District (including the former towns of Kawabe and Yūwa), the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of 356.98 inhabitants per square kilometre (924.6 /sq mi). The total area is 905.67 square kilometres (349.68 sq mi).
While the modern city was officially founded on April 1, 1889, Akita has been one of the most important cities in the Tohoku region since the medieval period. The Ashina and Satake daimyo clans established their capital in present-day Akita.
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Historically, Akita has seen changes throughout at least four historical Japanese periods; Edo, Meiji, Showa and Heisei. The beginnings of Akita were in the Edo period. A settlement, known as Kubota Castle Town, was formed which would later become the center of Akita. Construction is dated to 1604.
Progress in the Meiji era included the renaming of the "Taihei" School (太平学校) to "Akita Normal" School (師範学校) on April 12 of 1878. In July, the school system was divided into 2 systems, the Kitaakita and Minamiakita districts. A year later, on April 1, 1889, Akita was officially established. In July the city hall of Akita is located inside the former Minamiakita District office. Transportation by horsecar began in July from Shindaikumachi to Tsuchizaki. This later became the Akita City Rail service. In May the first bank opened.
War devastated the city on August 14, 1945. 137 people were killed in an air raid of 134 B-29s, attacking the city from midnight to the early dawn of August 15. A Nippon Company oil refinery in the Tsuchizaki area was targeted. This was reportedly the farthest-range and also the last bombing mission in World War II, coming only hours before Japan announced its surrender.[1]
On April 1, 1997 Akita was designated as a core city in Japan. In August 2001 The World Games were held in Akita, with the opening ceremony held in the Yabase Track and Field Stadium. In 2004, the city celebrated its 400th anniversary and its beginnings as Kubota Castle town.
On January 11, 2005, the city added the towns of Kawabe and Yūwa to become the new city of Akita. This incorporated what remained of Kawabe District, thus dissolving the district. The merger celebration was held at AL☆Ve.
The location of Akita City Hall did not change, and former Kawabe and Yūwa Town Halls are used as civic centers.
Go to the city of Akita's website for more info
Akita has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with cold, very snowy, winters, and very warm, humid summers. Monthly means range from −0.1 °C (31.8 °F) in January to 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in August. Due to its location near the Sea of Japan coast, it receives heavy snowfall, with just above 409 centimetres (161 in) per season, with accumulation occurring mostly from December to March. Precipitation is well-distributed and significant throughout the year, but is greater in the latter half.
| Climate data for Akita City (1971-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.7 (56.7) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
33.7 (92.7) |
37.9 (100.2) |
38.2 (100.8) |
35.4 (95.7) |
28.9 (84.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
38.2 (100.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
3.1 (37.6) |
6.9 (44.4) |
13.6 (56.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
28.6 (83.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
18.2 (64.8) |
11.6 (52.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.9 (69.6) |
16.0 (60.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.8 (−3.6) |
−24.6 (−12.3) |
−19.5 (−3.1) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8.9 (48.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−18.7 (−1.7) |
−24.6 (−12.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 114.4 (4.504) |
92.0 (3.622) |
93.0 (3.661) |
117.6 (4.63) |
122.8 (4.835) |
127.5 (5.02) |
178.1 (7.012) |
181.9 (7.161) |
177.9 (7.004) |
160.7 (6.327) |
183.5 (7.224) |
163.8 (6.449) |
1,713.2 (67.449) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 142 (55.9) |
120 (47.2) |
51 (20.1) |
2 (0.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
13 (5.1) |
79 (31.1) |
409 (161) |
| % humidity | 73 | 72 | 68 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 79 | 77 | 76 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 73 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm) | 24.0 | 20.0 | 17.5 | 13.2 | 12.5 | 11.2 | 13.6 | 11.0 | 13.6 | 15.6 | 19.8 | 23.6 | 195.6 |
| Avg. snowy days | 27.1 | 23.7 | 16.9 | 2.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 6.6 | 20.7 | 97.3 |
| Sunshine hours | 44.6 | 65.6 | 135.7 | 175.0 | 191.4 | 178.0 | 171.5 | 200.4 | 154.9 | 148.1 | 84.7 | 47.6 | 1,597.4 |
| Source no. 1: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | |||||||||||||
This festival began 350 years ago, which is consistent with the Tanabata and lunar basins events and is the most representative summer festival in Japan. This festival features participants who balance 15 meter poles with 230 lanterns on their chins; the main event is held during the evening and night hours, between the 3rd and 6th of August every year. This style of festival is also seen in Hamburg, Germany in 1988, Honolulu, Hawaii in 2002, London, England in 2004, and opening event in World Games in 2001. During the festival, Kanto stunt events are held in Chiaki Park during daylight hours and involved many amateur participants section. This event was first held in 1931 and every subsequent year, except during disruption between 1935 to 1946 and in 1953 and 1965.
Akita is within proximity of the most important oil fields in Japan. Oil refining, woodworking, metalworking, and the production of silk textiles are the main industries. Akita is also home to two regional banks that serve Akita prefecture and the greater Tohoku region: Akita Bank and Hokuto Bank.
At 39.57148N and 140.05785 E between 1956 and 1990 81 sounding rockets of Japanese type Kappa were launched. Hereby heights up to 343 kilometres were reached. In 1990 several Russian sounding rockets of M-100 type were launched. Source: http://www.astronautix.com/sites/akita.htm
Our Lady of Akita is the title of Marian apparitions reported in 1973 by Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in the remote area of Yuzawadai, near the city of Akita. The apparitions were approved by the Holy See in 1988.[2] The 1988 approval was issued by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.
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